Paul Pierce deserved to finish his career with the Boston Celtics

After 15 seasons playing in Boston, team captain Paul Pierce is headed to the Brooklyn Nets rather than going wire-to-wire in his career. The trade that includes eight players and three draft picks becomes official Friday.

By Jim Fenton

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Jim Fenton

Posted Jul. 11, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 11, 2013 at 11:23 AM

By Jim Fenton

Posted Jul. 11, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 11, 2013 at 11:23 AM

» Social News

He played with 132 teammates, ranging in alphabetical order from Ray Allen to Ruben Wolkowyski, during 15 seasons with the Celtics.

Paul Pierce saw them come,and he saw them go from the time he was drafted by Rick Pitino in June 1998, putting together a Hall of Fame career through some good times and some bad times.

Now, after a decade and a half of wearing No. 34 for the Celtics, it is Pierce’s time to go.

The departure of Pierce from the only NBA team he has played for during parts of three different decades becomes official today.

In a trade that was finalized on June 27 but was on hold because of technicalities, Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry are moving to the Brooklyn Nets for five players and three first-round draft picks as the Celtics look to the future.

Instead of going wire-to-wire with the team that drafted him, Pierce is moving on, a casualty of the business that sports has become.

After all he has contributed to the franchise in 15 years, it shouldn’t be ending like this for Pierce, who will be staying in the Atlantic Division but playing for a different team.

Pierce should be finishing his career in a green and white Celtics’ uniform, only loyalty is long gone from sports where moving pieces and getting assets for the future is more important.

The Celtics were in a tough spot with Pierce, who had a $15.3-million option on his contract for next season. The team had the choice of paying that, buying him out for $5 million or finding an interested trade partner.

They got lucky when wild-spending Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov took on Pierce’s contract, not to mention fully guaranteeing the final year of Garnett’s deal for the 2014-15 season.

With a chance to stockpile some first-round picks, the Celtics brought an end to Pierce’s magnificent stay in Boston.

It will be strange watching Pierce in a Nets’ uniform as he plays for first-year head coach Jason Kidd.

Pierce has worn nothing but Celtics’ gear in the NBA since departing Kansas, but those days are over.

It was quite a run for Pierce, who survived a nightclub stabbing and quickly returned to open the 2000-01 season on time, and he grew up into a leader after some shaky moments early in his career.

Pierce earned some high praise from none other than Larry Bird, who told reporters this week at the Orlando Pro Summer League that the forward from Inglewood, Calif., was “one of the better ones,’’ the Celtics ever had.

Page 2 of 2 - The 15 seasons Pierce played in Boston rank second to only John Havlicek’s 16. He is second to Bird with a 21.8 scoring average, second to Havlicek with 24,021 points and was the team’s leading scorer the past 13 seasons.

There are so many memories that Pierce provided, but the most touching one came on the night of Oct. 28, 2008, when the Celtics raised their first championship banner in 22 years.

Pierce broke down during the ceremony, sobbing as he reflected on the long, hard climb to the top of the basketball world.

“So many thoughts go through your head, memories of the struggling times here in Boston,’’ said Pierce that night. “You dream of these moments. To actually be able to see your dream come true, it’s unreal. To be a part of it, I actually had to pinch myself to let myself know this was real.’’

It was indeed real for the most valuable player of the NBA Finals who just a year earlier was on a team that lost 18 straight games.

There were questions as to whether Pierce might ask out when things were going rough, but he stuck around and was rewarded in 2008.

The next reward should have been retiring in a Celtics’ uniform, but the business of sports got in the way, so Paul Pierce is Brooklyn bound after a superb 15-year stay in Boston.